Google decides to leave video on YouTube

Google will leave a controversial video clip about the Islamic prophet Muhammad on YouTube despite a White House request that the company review it under its own policies, the company said Friday.

The White House confirmed Friday that it asked Google to review whether the clip violated its policies and should be taken down. Google decided that the video does not violate its policies.

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“We work hard to create a community everyone can enjoy and which also enables people to express different opinions,” a YouTube spokeswoman said in a statement. “This can be a challenge because what's OK in one country can be offensive elsewhere. This video — which is widely available on the Web — is clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube.”

“However, we've restricted access to it in countries where it is illegal such as India and Indonesia, as well as in Libya and Egypt given the very sensitive situations in these two countries,” the spokeswoman said.

The video, deemed offensive by many Muslims, is believed to have spurred violence in Libya this week where four Americans were killed.

The White House confirmed Friday that it had asked Google’s YouTube to review the video.

"The White House asked YouTube to review the video to see if it was in compliance with their terms of use," White House press secretary Jay Carney told POLITICO in an email. The White House said it reached out to YouTube on Tuesday.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 7:10 p.m. on September 14, 2012.